Are We There Yet? : On a Path to Closing America's Long-Run Deficit

Many decry the fact that policymakers are nowhere close to addressing the long-term fiscal shortfall and as evidence they point to the Congressional Budget Office's projection of enormous long-term deficits under current policy. This report contends that the minimum deficit reduction incorporated in leading progressive and conservative budgets can put us on a path toward closing the long-term deficit. A significant gap would remain even if consensus were fully realized. However, this report describes a plausible path for further cutting the long-term deficit, as well as important revenue and spending backstops. Finally, it explains that while the country can and should try to reach a fiscally sustainable path, because of the uncertainty surrounding many of those reforms — especially the restructuring of the healthcare system — we cannot expect an immediate solution